Notes from March 6th Conference

Presented by: R. Sharath Jois
6-March-2011
Gokulum, Mysore India

FAITH AND DEDICATION TO A GURU AND THE PRACTICE

Sharath quoted the Bhagavad Gita referring to the need for faith. He expanded by saying: “We must have faith in our practice. Only those with faith will receive the knowledge. Once you devote yourself to a guru, then you can gain the knowledge. A guru is one who has gained the knowledge through his own experience. Only then can he take his students from the dark into the light… that very big journey which is not easy. The student must have faith and dedication in his teacher over a long period of time.”

The Yoga Sutras I:14 sa tu dirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevito dridha-bhumih inspires us to practice for a long period of time uninterruptedly, only then is it possible to become firmly grounded in the practice and to withdraw the sense organs. When this is achieved, the extremes of life (sukha & dukha) will not affect us. Anger and depression, which come from the sense organs and create a desire will be avoided.

He went on to say: “Why is it necessary to struggle in asana practice? It is not only a physical struggle, it is a complete body, mind and spirit struggle. This is a complete practice which teaches you to control the mind. Do your practice, put in the effort. It is not easy and all three aspects of it are challenging. From Yoga Sutra II:1: tapah svadhayaya isvara-pranidanani kriya yoga.

Kriya yoga, the yoga of action, consists of:

• Tapas: following a principled life
• Svadhyaya: self-study
• Isvarapranidhana:surrendering to God

Only through this complete practice can we gain the knowledge.

SUNRISE, MIDDAY AND SUNSET

Sharath spoke about the Brahman daily worship of offering oblations to the Sun-God three times a day-at sunrise, midday and sunset for good health. He spoke about how the sunset is a naturally peaceful time as sunset are naturally beautiful and serene and create a good time for calming the mind.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHANTING

“Lakshmish is teaching you chanting, do the chanting. They are very powerful. For example Aditya hridayam is the destroyer of all enemies.”

SHARATH’S YOGA SUTRAS :)

• No Coffee, No Prana
• No Pain, No Gain
• No Chapatis, No Strength

QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE

Question: Will you be taking Guruji’s place after his passing?

Sharath: “There is only on Guruji. No one can replace Guruji. No one can put their feet in his shoes. We all have faith in him and in the practice. I will not change the system, I am connected to Guruji, if you like what I do, call me whatever you want. Just don’t call me a lazy man! ” :)

Question: Should we practice Karma Yoga?

Sharath: “Yes, we all have our karma. Mine is to be a yoga teacher. I must follow my karma. As Krishna said to Arjuna, ‘you are a warrior, you must fulfill your karma and fight this difficult battle.’ Karma (action) and Dharma (truth) go together. Similarily, a doctor must follow his karma honestly. Everyone must recognize the karma given to him by God and follow it honestly.”

Question: “Why is there a lack of faith in the practice?”

Sharath: “Yoga is not for everyone. To practice yoga you must be mentally and physically strong and able to withdraw from the senses in order to see the atma ( purity of the soul). Times when this is not possible are listed in the sutras, for example: Sickness, Doubt, Not properly grounded, Not spiritually strong. It is your responsibility to do your work and find the connections in the teachings: sutras, upanishads, etc”

Question: “Can a teacher help the student who does not have faith?”

Sharath: “A teacher can only do so much, for example, if you want to climb that coconut tree. I am only 5’6”, I can only life you up so much, the tree is another 30’. No one can do the work for you, only you have to do the hard work. I have seen over 20,000 students come and go. Some are dedicated and they stay, some do not.”

Question: “What percentage of the students you have seen stay dedicated to the practice?”

Sharath: “60%. Maybe all do not come here, but in my travels, I see that they are working. Dedication does not mean authorization, getting more postures, etc. It is dedication to the practice. One student, Ed, was here. He is working every day. Three years ago he could not sit in half lotus, now he is doing Marichyasana C. Many people are only looking for the certificate or the next posture. Do your practice, automatically it will come, your job is only to practice.

When you practice every day you are bright. Even if you have back pain, you are bright. This is because the yogi has the the following qualities, from the Hatha yoga pradipika II:78 Arogata bindujayosgnidipanam Nadivisuddhirhathasiddhilaksanam

“When the body becomes lean, the face glows with delight, Anahata-nada manifests, and eyes are clear, the body is healthy, bindu under control, and appetite increases, then one should know that the Nadis are purified and success in Hatha Yoga is approaching.”